Wine and Web Adds New Location

HarborActive, a community organization promoting technology education in Northern Michigan, is serving up “four courses of wine and four courses of mobile learning” at a new location in Petoskey. Small business owners or individuals can hone their social media skills while mingling with other locals and enjoying unique wines in Harbor Springs and Petoskey.

The traditional location, Stafford’s Pier Restaurant in Harbor Springs, held the first Wine and Web class on January 24. This year, the creators of Wine and Web—Rachel R. Smolinski, Executive Director of the Harbor Area Regional Board of Resources Inc. (HARBOR, Inc.), and Marcie Wolf, owner of Abuzz Creative—added Chandler’s Wine Cellar, a favorite location in Petoskey, to the Wine and Web list. For those that missed the first class, a second class is scheduled for February 7 at Chandler’s Wine Cellar.

The classes will include lessons using Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, three of the most popular social apps for individuals, and therefore the most powerful for businesses. Attendees will learn the basics the applications if necessary and familiarize themselves more with the platform. They will later move on to more complex marketing maneuvers to reach out to customers and create real impressions online. Attendees are encouraged to bring their mobile devices, such as a smartphone or tablet, so they can go through the classes with their own accounts and use mobile marketing strategies firsthand as they learn and enjoy their wine.

“All of our events and classes feature hands-on learning so that everyone has a better chance to retain what they learned,” said Wolf in a press release.

While online marketing and advertising doesn’t effectively stand alone, it is an integral part of an overall marketing plan. With more businesses and more potential customers using these tools every day, business that aren’t online risk being left behind.

In 2015 HarborActive competed in the Connected Community Project Awards at the Connect Michigan Broadband Conference. The interest and excitement generated by Wine and Web earned the project a finalist position and funding, allowing the project to expand. Every year the participant pool grows. This year, Smolinski and Wolf expect even more attendees and anticipate the classes to keep growing.

The cost for Wine and Web is $25 and includes four courses of wine with four lessons on mobile technology. Advance registration and payment is required, and must be completed by the Friday prior to the event. Registrations and payments can be made online: http://www.harboractive.com/classes-events/. To learn more about instructional classes or seminars in your area, stay up-to-date on the connectmycommunity.org blog.